Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska

Fri, Mar 28th 2008, 00:00

The Juneau Icefield surrounding Juneau is the fifth largest body of ice in America. This huge area of snow and ice feeds Alaska’s glaciers.


The icefield is 85 miles from north to south and 45 miles east to west. It is approximately 3,000 years old.

A glacier is a moving mass of ice formed by continuous seasons of snowfalls and the resulting accumulations of ice, snow, water mixed in with rock debris from the landscape below the ice. These ice masses can be huge, the size of continents.

Glaciers are constantly moving. Gravity acts on the mass of ice, making it flow towards the sea. The speed that these glaciers move can vary, from a few feet per year to thousands of feet per year.

Juneau in Southeast Alaska offers prime glacier viewing opportunities. The Juneau Icefield feeds the Mendenhall Glacier. This glacier forms in the Mendenhall Valley just 12 miles from Juneau. Helicopter tours offer an opportunity to view this dramatic natural phenomenon from the air.

Walking trails in the forests surrounding Juneau also offer dramatic views of this huge ice body.

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